How to use policies and procedures to improve your business

What is that ‘issue’ that constantly comes up in your business? Could it be that your policies and procedures are letting you down? 

Many of us create polices and procedures around legal compliance and what we are familiar with in our industry and yes, ensuring we are not in breach of legislation is 100% the first step but once you have that sorted, review those policies in terms of your business goals. 

Yep, now I want you to optimise your policies and procedures. I want terms and conditions that protect you from loss while delivering customer service beyond expectation. And, I want something that is overlooked or seen as ‘set and forget’ to become part of your proactive approach to operational management. 

When people think of risk identification and management, they often jump to WHS but we need to be applying risk management to every area of our business. Having contingencies in place and strategies to mitigate that risk are vital. Think about the regular issues that come up for you and brainstorm how you can reduce the risk of it happening. 

Are you taking enough of a deposit for if the client cancels on the day? Upfront payment or cancellation fees may be the answer (remember you have the discretion to wave it if you want but it’s there if you can’t). 

Do you have unrealistic turn around times for production of handmade goods? Are you burning yourself out to meet deadlines that you have set yourself? You have the freedom to set a timeframe that is doable for you - just ensure the reasoning is communicated well in your social media content, website and T&Cs. If people know what goes into it to get that level of quality, most will be understanding! 

Do you have people not happy with your service? What’s your onboarding procedure like? Do you manage expectations with a brief or work breakdown? You need to have an understanding of what people are looking to achieve. I swear by my onboarding questionnaire because I straight up ask ‘what are you looking to achieve’ - having the person think about it and write it down works perfectly for me! 

Your policies and procedures should actually be a valuable commodity in your business, not something we do once and tick it off, not just there in case we have a problem. Strong policies and procedures are the foundations for enduring business and deserve a lot more love then they usually get. 

Shift the perspective and think about how good foundations could be making your life easier right now!